When she started her nurse training back in the 1990s, Ofrah Muflahi (pictured above right) was the only person who identified as Arab in her cohort. 鈥淎lthough I was passionate about becoming a registered nurse, in some ways I felt like I never really fitted in. It was tough,鈥� she recalls.
While the idea to set up a nursing association for her Arab nursing and midwifery colleagues had always been there, it crystalised after she did a presentation during Black History Month.
鈥淎 nurse contacted me to say how great it was to see a fellow Arab nurse, but then asked where she could link with others and find that sense of belonging,鈥� says Ofrah, who鈥檚 the RCN Professional Lead for Nursing Support Workers. 鈥淚 had nowhere for her to go.鈥�
Working with her cousin, Afrah Muflihi 鈥� who is Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead Midwife for Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust 鈥� the pair have now founded the , which began recruiting members in April 2023.
A long history
While there鈥檚 a perception that Arabs are relatively new migrants to the UK, that鈥檚 simply not true, says Ofrah.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been here since the 1800s,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e been nursing for around 30 years and while there鈥檚 been momentum around internationally educated nurses, recruitment targeted at different ethnic groups and more focus on diversity, I鈥檝e yet to meet the first Arab chief nurse in the UK.鈥�
Meanwhile the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) didn鈥檛 start recording Arab ethnicity until its report of 2021-22, she says.
鈥淔or all these years, I鈥檝e been ticking 鈥榦ther鈥�,鈥� says Ofrah. 鈥淵et when Arab health care professionals talk to us, it鈥檚 apparent they have a real connection with their identity and culture. It鈥檚 what makes you who you are.鈥�
Now BANMA鈥檚 overarching objective is to amplify the voice of Arab nursing and midwifery professionals.
鈥淚t鈥檚 to make us more visible,鈥� says Ofrah. Advocacy is a key issue. 鈥淲e want to encourage people from Arab communities into careers in nursing and midwifery,鈥� she says.
They also want to try to tackle health inequalities. 鈥淔or example, some women are missing out on cervical screening and mammograms.鈥�
I鈥檓 proud to be both from the Black Country, but also a Yemeni woman
A second aim is to help internationally educated nurses and midwives from Arab countries to settle here.
鈥淚 was born and brought up in the UK and I鈥檓 proud to be both from the Black Country, but also a Yemeni woman,鈥� says Ofrah.
鈥淚 understand how UK culture and systems work. But for those who are coming to work here from other countries, it鈥檚 all unfamiliar and hard for them to navigate. Some can be highly qualified, skilled and experienced but when they come to the UK they have to start from scratch. They need our help to progress.鈥�
Plugging the gap in support
RCN member Huda Ahmed joined BANMA earlier this year.
鈥淎s Arab nurses who are new to the UK, it鈥檚 a good opportunity for us to find others who have similar backgrounds, understanding our needs and giving us the proper advice about any issues we might face,鈥� she says.
Huda moved to the UK in 2019 from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), although she is originally Egyptian. She鈥檚 currently working as a registered nurse with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
鈥淐oming to the UK gave me the chance to gain more experience, enhancing my nursing career,鈥� says Huda, who has been nursing since 1999.
She鈥檚 already asked BANMA for advice.
鈥淚t was a situation I didn鈥檛 know how to deal with,鈥� she says. 鈥淢any of us have trained outside the UK so we don鈥檛 have the experience of how some things work here.
鈥淭he association has a broad understanding of where we鈥檝e come from and the differences between where we鈥檝e trained and here. It鈥檚 plugging a gap in the support we need.鈥�
Having to start again
Fellow RCN member Fatima Alali arrived in the UK in 2021 from Dubai, where she had always lived.
鈥淢oving here was quite scary, but I鈥檇 heard a lot of good things about the NHS, so I decided to do it,鈥� she says.
She qualified as a nurse in 2009, moving up the career ladder, eventually becoming a nurse manager.
鈥淚n the UK, I鈥檝e had to start all over again,鈥� says Fatima. Her first post was in West Yorkshire, but she moved to Birmingham to be closer to family, working as a staff nurse at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
She joined BANMA as soon as she could, especially appreciating the support of the fortnightly virtual chats, which are open to all.
When you speak your own language you feel understood
鈥淎 lot of nurses move to different jobs, but this is the first time I鈥檝e been away from where I鈥檝e spent all my life,鈥� she says.
鈥淔or me, BANMA has given me that familiarity, with people understanding where I come from, my background and culture. They can relate to what I say. When I first joined, I hadn鈥檛 spoken Arabic for a long time 鈥� when you speak your own language you feel understood.鈥�
Ofrah adds: 鈥淏ANMA helps in closing the cultural differences as international educated nurses and midwives, bringing nursing and midwifery staff together across UK. While it鈥檚 a new association, we already feel how much it鈥檚 making a difference.鈥�
Further information
- with international nursing and midwifery associations.
